Unusual lesion in the bilateral external capsule following status epilepticus: a case report

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an essential tool for determining the underlying cause of status epilepticus and can exhibit a variety of unpredictable findings. A 28-year-old woman presented with status epilepticus of unknown etiology. She had been recovered from status epilepticus twenty days later, but afterwards developed transient postural instability and cognitive impairment. Initial MRI showed no abnormalities. Follow-up MRI after cessation of status epilepticus demonstrated hyper-intensities lesions in the right claustrum and bilateral external capsular areas on T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery images. As the external capsule is a route for cholinergic and corticostriatal fibers, cognitive dysfunction and postural instability might be related to these fibers.